Improved apparatus for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquids for illuminating



v J; GRIFFIN. 4 APPARATUS FDR VAPORIZING HYDROOARBON LIQUIDS FORILLUMINATING.

No. 42,469. Patented Apr. 26, 1864.

fella o o u UNITED STATES PATENT T-Orricey JONATHAN cairn-in, orMERIDEN, .connnorroun' IMPROVED APPARATUS .FOR VAPOBIZING HYDROCARBOINuoulns FOR 'l LLUM l'NAT'lNG-g stabi sat o forming as of LettersPateut'na424eo, dated April 26, 1264.

To all whom it mag concern;

Be it known'that I, JONATHAN GRIFFImof' Meriden, in the county of NewHave'n and State of Connecticut, have inyentednew' and usefulImprovementsin Appara't'usjfor Vaporizin g 3 any Hydrocarbon rm 'Illuminatiug v Purposes; andI do herebydeclare the-follow ing to be afull,clear, and exact descri pt'ion' of the same, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, and the letters of referencel markedthereon, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-- a Figure 1, a side View; rig. 2, a top view Fig. 3,a longitudinal section cutting through on 2 z,'Fig. 5 Fig. 4, the sameas Fig. 2, with top removed; and Fig. 5, a transverse sectioncut-tingthrough a: 00, Fig. 2. V

Same letters and characters indicate like.

rated with the naphtha or other hydrocarbon. To these things I of courselay no claim.

I My invention relates, first, to an apparatus for distributing theatmospheric air under-the surface of the naphtha, so that vaporizationmay take place more quickly and uniformly than when freed in aconsiderable body underneat-h it and to prevent bubbling as it risesthrough the liquid, and, in connection with;

the apparatus, a bright-metal condensing plate, for collecting theimpurities and the drip from the regulator, so as to carry them backto'the apparatus. o

- When the atmospheridair isfirst admitted to the chamber containing thefluid (fresh naphtha) instant and powerful vaporization commences,which, if not properly checked,

causes great pressure upon the burners, and as suddenly as it commencesas suddenly the pressure subsides to a' certain and nearly equalpressure, or an unequal pressure or flow from the air-forcing apparatuswill cause an unequal pressure and unsteady flo'w of gas at theburner.=. y

The second part of 'my invention is princi pally designed to overcomethis'su'dden, un desirable, or unequal flow of gas, and consists inplacinga sponge or similar porous elastic substanceiu a chamber throughwhich the gas 'must pass upward in its passagefrom the vaporizingapparatus.- A sudden tlow ofgthc gas from any cause compresses thesponge or similar substance which compression. retards the" passagethrough the sponge, so that the greater the pressure upon the sponge orits equivalent the (proportionately). less freely the gas or vapor canpass through the sponge or the equivalent substance em 'ployed'forequalizing the pressure or flow. I

find the sponge also useful for another object of great ifnot equaliIDPQElIflllCG. The sponge 1 naturally contains andlretainsa certainde-' gree ofmoisture, which serves to condense the vapor in its passagethrough it and thus cleanse the vapor from such impurities or par;

ticles as may have escaped the action of the condenser-plate.

To more fully describe my iuvention, in the accompanying drawings, A isa box or case, constructed of metal or any other suitable material andofdimerisions in proportion to thequantity of gas to be generatedtherein. I place an air-chamber, V, within thesaid box and resting on ornear the-bottom of the same,

F (see Figs. 3 and 5,) its sides perforated. The

perforations at the center are small and gradually increase in sizetoward the ends, for the purpose hereinafter shown.

D is a conductor, leading to the said airchamber, through whichatmospheric] air is forced to the air-chamber by means of any knowndevice for the purpose. Above the airchamber I place a metallic plate,0.. It may* and I prefer to have itrest upon the oair-chambar. The saidplateC should nearly fill the case, but must leave a narrow space aroundits edge, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Above the plate 0,1 place a secondplate, E, resting upon proper supports, and placed so as to come belowthe surface of the fluid with which the case is to be partially filled.The said plate E should be nearly or quite as large asthe interior ofthe case, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) and finely perforated over its. wholesurface, as

shown partially perforated in Fig. at, or a net work or web of wiremight answer the same purpose, the object of which will be fully shownhereinafter. .Above said perforatedplate E, I

divide the space into 'twoparts by a perforated partition, F perforatedinlike manner as the plate E an shown partially perforated need notextend below the said plate (3:, 1e;- eepting as it' serves to supportthe said plate. 'flhis said plaTe'G must be placed above "the; fluid,and the perforated partition F extends from the plate G to top. orcover'H, which is closely secured and properly packed ,topreveut the gasor vapor escaping from the case. 0ver.

- the'con'denser-plate G, Iplace a dome or equalizing-chamber, "I,between which and the condenser-plate 1 place a perforated plate, a.'Above the plate a I setin the dome a fine-network or gauze'ot' wire, 0.,'Thislies free in the dome. Near the top of the dome I fix anotherperforated plate L, and at the'top of the dome llor-in the outlet N forthe gas to passofl'for consumption.

"The space S, betweenthe gauze or net-work sand the upper perforatedplate, L, I fill with a coarsesponge or some substance of a simi-Jlnrcapacity. Hazel shavings are a very good equivalent, but fromexperiment Tas yet'pre sponge' t'obear againstthesurfaceofthe-dome.

fer sponge to auythin g l have tried.

' M y apparatus thusco'mplcte, l'fill (partially,

sa to the line denoted in blue, Fig. ,3)'witl1 petroleum, naphtha, orother hydrocarbon.

the-fluid should not be below theplate'F. Now,

force atmospheric air through the conductor D to the air-chamber B,which through the perforations in its sides distributes the same throughthe] whole of the fluid. The perforations in the air-chamber are madesmalla't.

the. center and gradually increase, so as to equally distribute the, airfor as the pressure is greater at or'near the center, the perfo-"rationsat that point are small and the pressure diminishing 'as'the airflows-from the center,

so the perforations increase in size'in like proportion. The atmosphericair thus distributed rises' arou'nd the edge-of the plate 0 through thefluidpand would naturally cause the fluid to bubble or "be otherwiseagitated, which greatly "retards vaporization or other; wise injurionslyaflects it-vaporization being. best accomplished and most perfect :whenthe fluid-is in a state -of rest. To prevent-such agitationtheperforated plate -E'is introduced,

which entirelyand perfectly accomplishes theohject; "In its passage upthrough the fluid,

the atmospheric 'air'becomes fully impregnated with the illuminatingportion -'of the hydrocarbon which requires-to be purifiedfbycondensation. For this purpose the'vaporor gas is passed through theupper part of the partition F over the condenserplateG. This said plateis bright and smooth, and in the flow of thevapor'over it condenses, sothat theimpurities fall or adhere to the plate, and from thence run backto the fluid below.. From thence the partially-purified gas. passes upthrough the perforated plate a through the. sponges. The spongenaturally retains a degree of dampness, which serves to furthercoudenseand more -perfectly purify the gas beou tletN'to the burners orreceivers. The condensation drips from the sponge and passes ofias fromthe plate? The second part of my invention or the equalizer I willfurther explain. When the-sponge 'liesfree the 'gas 'will flowmorejfreely through it than when "the sponge is compressed, so that whenthe flow or pressure is increased "the sponge is compressed by suchincrease of flow-or'pressure so that. the gas 'canno't flow through thesponge "so 'free, 'andthus prevents any action upon the gas 'beyond thesponge "by undue pressure hetero it. So if the pressure islessened thesponge'relaxes, toallowthe gas to "pass more freely through it, thusmaintaiuing an equal pressure-upon=tihe gas-beyond the sponge. The plate0 is placed above the sponge to allow more surface for the'gas to passfrom the sponge thanvv would be were the Haviug fully described myinveutionywhat I claimi'asnew, and desire to secureby :Ize'tjtcrs'Patent,'is A,

The submerged perforatcd-cbamber'iB, for the purpose of more'equally-andquietly ditfusing' the-atmospheric airthrough the whole-of the "liquid,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2; In combination with thesubmergedperforatcd "chamber B, the submergedplate "'0, to prevenb'bubbling or agitation of the liquifl,substantially as described.

(lensing-plate, "(h-between the. liquid in the -the-varying force of thepassingvolums of vapor or vaporized air through it, and thus act as anequalizer of the'flow-o't gas, substantia'liy as described.

' JONATHAN entrain,

. "Witnesses:

JonN S. 1101mmstrain G. .T. GIBBONs'.

fore allow-ingit topass on and through the v '3. The interpositionofa'bright-metnl -conapparatus and the regulatororequalizer, for thepurpose of collecting and 'return'ing'the stance that will contract andexpand-under

